Are We There Yet ?

Hi gang,

This will be the last blog entry we make, for this adventure at least.

We left you at Tixall Wide and it was such a nice place we decided to put our feet up and stay another day and take it easy.



We set off again on Monday morning and turned onto our final canal, The Trent & Mersey.


Heading north towards Stone where we stopped for supplies and a splash of diesel before finding a quiet spot for the night.

The following morning we struck out for Stoke. The plan was to clear the town and wait near Harecastle tunnel for crewman Kelly to arrive. There were some very interesting locks, from the towpath, or pretty scary from the boat. Deep and narrow they seem to almost start to close in above you. There were plenty of low bridges too.



Plus the signature bottle kilns along the way.



The weather held fine and we were making excellent progress so we decided to press on through the tunnel.

Which started of fine but gets a little, challenging half way through !

Watch your head !

On the other side crewman Kelly was waiting,



so we put him straight to work and rattled off a few more locks.




Before mooring for the night at Church Lawton, in the exact same spot we had used early on in the voyage.



Today was the last proper day of the meanderings. Tomorrow we pack everything up and tidy Maya ready for Friday when we do the last few miles to Northwich and drop her off at the brokers. It's fitting that crewman Kelly was with us on the last day because he was there on the first day too, before this blog even began, and he helped us through Manchester as well.



We dropped crewman Kelly off in Middlewich and headed for the solitude of the countryside. Along the way we passed through this lock

it might not look like anything special, but it's the last narrow lock well ever do.

So this is it, the end. The meanderings are over. Thanks for looking after us Maya you've been fantastic.

Green and pleasant

We left the museum nice and early and plunged back into the prop cloying weeds and the ubiquitous graffiti. Fighting our way out to Wolverhampton and the 21 locks to the wide open countryside.



We had to balance our mooring between A road, Railway and motorway and after the passing boats had stopped bashing us against the bank we had a peaceful night.




We set off this morning and enjoyed the wide open green spaces the trees the rivers. We really took time to appreciate it all because we knew it was all fast coming to an end. Mid week it could all be over, certainly by next weekend.

If you've ever come off the M6 to get to the M54 you will have passed by Gailey wharf, you've probably seen this tower by the side of the road.


We had a very pleasant day of quiet, easy cruising interspersed by interesting locks.





We stopped off in Penkridge for supplies and happened upon ye olde sweet shoppe, a nice little cafe and a good local butchers, they all benefited from our patronage. Weighed down with provisions and goodies we headed back to Maya and continued on our way. Where we spied a potential new crew member, maybe more suited to a larger vessel, we'll have to see.




We have moored up at Tixall wide. Across the water you can see the " gatehouse " to Tixall House. The house no longer exists, but what must it have looked like if this is JUST the gatehouse !!



Tomorrow we join the last canal of this journey, the Trent & Mersey and truly the last leg home.

Birmingham

We had a long but not too difficult day getting into Birmingham and the 38 locks along the way. Luckily most of them were in our favour and we seemed to be on our own so no queueing. Plus the weather was glorious and nobody bothered us on our slow passage through the city. Which lead us eventually to Gas Street Basin slap bang in the middle of town. Full of clubs, pubs, bars and even a lap dancing club, what were we thinking. We found a quiet corner and did some people watching. The night passed fairly peacefully.

In the morning we set off for Dudley, passing of all things a roundabout in the canal !



We left behind the des res's and bright lights and passed through the industrial areas. These too soon faded away and the old industries have long since gone and nature has reclaimed the banks.


The canal is a proper bit of Telford engineering, "Right lads we are here we need to be there build it STRAIGHT and wide". Bit like an old time equivalent of a motorway. He even remarked on the existing canal as " that ditch"

The weather again was beautiful and apart from the occasional grand bridge passing over head you could have been anywhere in the countryside. Which brought us to Dudley where we visited the Black Country Museum. A living museum with a whole village to explore and staff dressed in period costume.

and a recreation of the old industries that made the black country. Chain making was it's biggest business, supplying 90% of all of the country's chain. There was even a chain making demonstration.



The museum goes from the the industrial revolution right up to the 1930's and you can find a little bit of each period around the site. We even got to ride two trams.




Highly recommended if you find yourself in the area.

Tomorrow we head for a bit of peace and quiet and green. Cities are interesting to visit but you wouldn't want to live there would you.

Weather the weather

Hello everyone.

We have been pushing on up the Oxford canal and the weather has not been kind.

We've had sun,


We've had rain,


We've had cloud,


We've had howling winds.

Usually all on the same day too!



Though we are back to narrow locks, which are a joy.



The captain's love of high and dangerous got the better of her.



Plus a very interesting tunnel.



We have now turned onto the Birmingham and Fazeley canal. Where we are having a day off, before going into Birmingham itself and the small matter of 36 locks in the way.

The Grand Union

Hi Gang,

For the last few days we have been traveling up the Grand Union. We've not blogged because this canal doesn't do or go anywhere interesting. The only things of note have been Milton Keynes which you don't get to see much of as it's hidden behind trees most of the time.

Then we had a very windy day!




Then there was Stoke Bruerne which has the third of the national waterways museums. Tiny little place compared to Gloucester and Ellesmere Port, but you did get a very unusual view of some lock gates.



Then we had a very wet day or two. We kept out of the rain for a while going through Blisworth tunnel, all 3,057 yards of it. That's about 2 miles and 40 minutes underground.





Then today we went through Braunston tunnel a bit shorter at 2042 yards but felt longer because of all the oncoming boats.

That lead us onto the Oxford canal towards Rugby, tomorrows destination.

Get outta town

We spent a night in the big city and that was enough for us. After breakfast we set off into the heart of London. We went out through Mile End, Hackney and Islington.

Then Camden town and it's famous market.





Then Regents park with it's grand houses



and london Zoo


I was hoping for Lions and Tigers or even monkey or two, alas no just some rather dull black and white birds and the African hunting dog pound and they were hiding.

Then past Paddington, Wormwood scrubs skirted Wembley and Northholt. Passing Southall and heading for Uxbridge to get us as far away from the city as we could. Stopping briefly for supplies, we decided to press on and find somewhere green. Which we found near Denham.

Today we teamed up with a boat we met in Limehouse basin. They were waiting for an incoming tide as we arrived on the ebb tide. Each of us going the opposite way around London.

We made good progress but it was a very workman like day, nothing of real interest just covering the ground has got us out of the M25 ring and just south of Hemel Hempstead. Tomorrow we keep heading north and hopefully the summit pound.

Terror on the high seas

We made it and we survived, just.

We set off bright and early this morning to arrive at Teddington lock in time to catch the tide to take us through London. We'd been dreading it. The lock gates opened and the Thames was as placid as it has been all the way.



Though the tide was pulling us through the water pretty quickly. We saw 8.3 mph might not sound much but when you spend your days at 3.5 mph that's quick! We quickly grew accustomed to our new found speed, settled down and watched the sights go by.




We only met two or three boats all the way to Vauxhall bridge. Though their wakes threw us about a bit it was nothing to worry about. We passed by the MI6 building, James Bonds, head office.



Things got a little bit more interesting! The boats got bigger, faster, closer and more frequent. Each adding to the waves caused by the last. Pitching in two or three feet of swell may not sound much, but on a boat made for still water it's terrifying. Though nowhere near as " oh my god we are going to die " scary as rolling side to side. Mix in both together and it makes for an adrenalin soaked thrill ride.

It might not look like much, you had to be there. Which we were and have photos to prove it.



We ticked off the must see sights as we went. All credit to the captain, taking photos in those conditions was no mean feat.




Then came the main goal of the trip.

Tower Bridge.

Thankfully things calmed down after this, though a sight seeing boat gave us a final farewell by swamping our rear deck on his way by. Then it was just the last mile to Limehouse.



I have never been so relieved to see a lock.




We celebrated with pizza, ice cream and lashings of ginger beer. Then broke out the Champagne we had saved from the wedding. It seemed fitting, the highlight of the trip also marks our furthest point from home and the start of the return journey.

Will canals ever be the same again after today?